Government Announces Subsidies for Rural Airline Service to Expire as Soon as Sunday
The Trump administration has stated that funds from a US government program that supports commercial air service to remote airfields are scheduled to end as soon as Sunday due to the current federal funding lapse.
The US transportation department stated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service initiative are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the agency transferred unrelated funding from the FAA as an temporary measure.
Transportation officials is in the process of alerting carriers about the funding shortfall and informing local areas about possible impacts.
Federal authorities allocates approximately $350m in annual funding for the program.
Earlier this year, the White House proposed cutting funding by $308 million for the Essential Air Service, which has support among Republican lawmakers because it provides services to rural, largely Republican areas.
Throughout the initial term of Donald Trump, the administration proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but lawmakers chose to boost financial support instead.
The program typically subsidizes two return flights each day using medium-sized planes – or additional frequencies with smaller planes. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 communities in Alaska receive service and 112 locations across the other 49 states and the territory that otherwise might not receive any commercial air connectivity.
“All states across the country will feel the effects,” the transportation chief stated during a media briefing, noting the service had support from both parties. “We don't have the funding for that initiative moving forward.”
